In spite of COVID-19 and the many ways in which it has established a “new normal” for most of us, we at Cody Rouge, in partnership with Connect Detroit, were committed to still providing young people with high-quality career-readiness experiences this summer. Things were a little bit different this year, however. Instead of assigning youth to physical workplaces, we assigned them virtual project-based learning experiences, and work readiness activities. We were privileged to connect with over 140 youth, and provide them opportunities to earn up to $1000 in stipends over five-weeks.
Many of the youth completed weekly assignments on the online Virtual Job Shadow platform, and participated in activities that allowed them to develop soft skills and prepare for a future career. A smaller group of young people participated in the YOUExplore Fellowship, facilitated by Dr. Truman Hudson in collaboration with the Wayne State University Teacher Education Division. In that program they were tasked with documenting stories through video and print around COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement for social justice.
In order to address this year’s unique challenges for youth, each participant was assigned to a virtual mentor group which met once weekly via Zoom to check-in with the young people and discuss topics such as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Utilizing social emotional learning curriculum, mentor groups were facilitated by adult program leaders, and allowed youth to connect with their peers on a personal level.
2020 has presented everyone with the challenge to adapt—and we at Cody Rouge are proud of the ways in which we have adapted this year to continue to provide college and career preparation for our young people. Much thanks to the great people at Connect Detroit, DEX Social Innovation Institute and Wayne State University Teacher Education Division for helping us make this summer a great one for our youth.
